All You Wanted
by The King's Soldier
Summary: A small collection of scenes Skye and Elisabeth should have had together over the course of the season. Full summary/explanation inside.
1. Outside Looking In

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Terra Nova. End of story.

Author's Note: Considering the fact that Skye gets interned to Elisabeth Shannon, is in love with her son, and no longer has any family in Terra Nova, I felt like she and Elisabeth could have developed a pretty special bond. Unfortunately they got next to no screen time together. So I've set out to remedy that. :) This fic will be a handful of scenes I think Skye and Elisabeth should have had over the course of the season. The main title comes from a song by Michelle Branch and I plan to include small quotes from the song at the beginning of each piece. This one takes place early in the season and was primarily inspired by the look on Skye's face as she watches Josh reunite with his parents at the end of the pilot episode. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Outside Looking In<strong>

_"I didn't know that it was so cold and  
><em>_you needed someone to show you the way."_

It's late afternoon when the work crew Josh is with frantically radios in that they've been ambushed by a pack of slashers. They had to make a run for it and now they're pinned down somewhere in the middle of the woods with a lot of wounded, several of whom are members of the security team sent out with them that morning. Gunfire is exploding in the background of the call. Taylor immediately gathers a squad to go look for them. Elisabeth was within earshot when Wash delivered the message to him and she immediately runs to the infirmary and grabs a medical kit.

"What are you doing here?" Jim asks as she approaches the waiting rovers.

"What does it look like?" she asks.

"Dr. Shannon!" Commander Taylor calls. Elisabeth turns as he comes up to them. "I need you to stay here."

"Commander-" she protests. Taylor cuts her off.

"I don't want both parents in danger at the same time," he says firmly. "If something happens at least one of you should be here with your children."

"One of my children is out there," she reminds him.

"I know that. And we'll bring him home safe." He opens the door to the rover and gets in. "I need you to prep the infirmary. It sounds like there may be some heavy injuries."

"We'll bring him back, I promise," Jim assures her. She forces herself to nod and take a step back.

"Be careful," she calls as Jim climbs into a rover. He nods.

"We will."

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Terra Nova waits and waits. It's long after dark and Elisabeth is on the porch of the command center with Wash when a shout goes up from one of the guard towers. The two women exchange a look and then run down the stairs two at a time.

The rovers have already rolled in and the work crew is staggering through the gates by the time Elisabeth and Wash get there. It takes Elisabeth mere seconds to spot her son.

"Josh!"

She runs forward and hugs him tightly. Josh hugs her back. Jim is behind him, a tired smile on his face. Elisabeth steps back and places her hands on her son's shoulders.

"Are you okay?" she asks. Josh nods.

"I'm fine, Mom." He has a few scrapes on his face and arms and his shirt is torn, but otherwise he looks okay.

"Josh!"

Zoe comes running out of somewhere and leaps into her big brother's arms. Maddy is right behind her. Elisabeth steps back and watches her children hug each other tightly. Jim comes over and slips an arm around her shoulders. They exchange a kiss as all three siblings begin to talk at once.

Elisabeth's eyes drift over the plaza as the rest of the work crew is reunited with their family members. There are many small injuries, but aside from several broken bones the group is remarkably unscathed. Amid the hugs and joyous cries, however, Elisabeth notices one figure standing alone. Skye. Usually so adventurous and independent, she suddenly looks very small and lonely. There are no worried family members running towards her, no one checking to make sure she's okay. Wash lays a hand on her shoulder and says something, to which Skye nods, but then the Lieutenant is hurrying off after Taylor and Skye is left alone again.

Elisabeth sees Skye's gaze land on the Shannon children hugging each other and chattering happily. There's a tremendous sadness and loneliness in her face as she turns away and begins to walk off alone towards the house where she and her friends stay. No one else seems to notice her leaving. Somehow that bothers Elisabeth. She finds that she feels a strange protectiveness of her new intern. Maybe because she knows no one else will.

"Go," Jim says, seeing where she's looking. Elisabeth looks up at him and he nods. After a glance at her own children, who are happily oblivious to the world around them, Elisabeth gives her husband's cheek a quick kiss.

"I'll be right back," she says.

She moves through the crowd and across the square. Skye is already starting down the dark street between the two rows of houses when Elisabeth reaches the edge of the plaza.

"Skye!" she calls. The girl turns, surprise written across her face.

"Dr. Shannon," Skye says. She stops and waits for Elisabeth to catch up. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," Elisabeth says. "I just wanted to see if you were okay."

"Uhm, yeah. I'm fine." Skye looks confused for a moment, but then she sticks her hands in her pockets and tilts her head as a smile tugs at her mouth. "Thanks for asking."

A loud laugh causes them both to look back toward the square where Zoe has found her way onto Jim's shoulder and he's spinning her around as Maddy and Josh look on. All four of them are smiling happily.

"I guess you should get back to your family," Skye says, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"You know," Elisabeth says suddenly, "we haven't eaten dinner yet. I was holding it for Jim and Josh. But you're more than welcome to join us."

"I wouldn't want to intrude," Skye says quickly, shaking her head. But Elisabeth can see in her eyes how badly she wants to accept.

"We would love to have you," Elisabeth assures her.

"Well, if you're sure you don't mind..." Skye says slowly.

"Not at all," Elisabeth says, smiling. Skye smiles back gratefully. "Come on."

She slips her arm around Skye's shoulders and together they walk back to the rest of the Shannons. Jim puts Zoe down as they approach.

"Skye is going to be joining us for dinner," Elisabeth tells them.

"Great," Josh says, grinning at his friend. Maddy too has a smile on her face.

"Yay!" Zoe cries. She catches hold of Skye's hand and begins to pull her in the direction of the house. "I can show you my toy dinosaurs."

"Okay," Skye says, laughter in her voice. Josh and Maddy hurry after them. Jim and Elisabeth follow behind at a more leisurely pace.

"I think you just made her day," Jim says as they make their way toward the house.

"I think I did," Elisabeth agrees.

As she watches Skye laughing with her three children she decides it's something she needs to do more often.

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><p>Please review and let me know how I did. And for those of you reading my "Moments in Time" fic, don't worry, this won't distract me from working on that. In fact it should have another chapter by tomorrow.<p> 


	2. Not Alone

Disclaimer: Still don't own Terra Nova.

Author's note: Special thanks for everyone who reviewed the first chapter. You guys made my day. :) This piece it an extra scene for the end of the episode "Nightfall". I felt like Elisabeth and Skye needed one more scene together just to wrap it up, and this is my take on what it should have looked like. Enjoy!

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><p><strong>Not Alone<strong>

"_I wanted to be like you. I wanted everything.  
><em>_So I tried to be like you and I got swept away."_

Elisabeth inserts the chip into the bio-bed and the scanner flares to life. Josh is watching anxiously from against the wall. Hunter is just barely remaining calm. Skye is wringing her hands nervously. Elisabeth gives her a reassuring nod as she moves to Hunter's side, trying to look as confident as possible.

"Here we go." She touches the screen and then stops and takes a closer look. She can feel Skye holding her breath behind her. But sure enough, all the signs are there. She shakes her head. "Parasite's dead." She looks over at Hunter and smiles. "He's gonna be okay."

Hunter looks ready to pass out with relief while Josh sighs and releases the arms that he's been crossing tighter and tighter. Elisabeth looks over at Skye only to find the girl still staring at Hunter in shock. She looks dangerously close to bursting into tears.

"Hey." Elisabeth reaches out and wraps her arm around Skye, drawing the girl close. "You did brilliantly. Really well."

Skye forces herself to nod.

"Excuse me," she says suddenly. She turns and hurries out of the infirmary. Josh starts to follow, but Elisabeth motions for him to stay put.

"Let me talk to her," she says. Josh hesitates and then finally shrugs in compliance.

Elisabeth takes her gloves off and carefully disposes of them. Then she makes her way over to the side door. Skye is standing outside a few feet away with her arms crossed tightly over her stomach.

"Hey," Elisabeth says, slowly walking up beside her. Skye jumps at her voice. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Skye nods, but they both know it's a lie.

Elisabeth chooses not to push, instead standing quietly and looking out at the street before them. Thankfully the chem lights are all on, holding the darkness at bay. The dinosaur has finally wandered back into the trees and now Malcolm can get to work manufacturing new chips. Life is almost back to normal. A large cup of coffee will be in order come morning, but otherwise Terra Nova is none the worse for wear.

"My dad died in there," Skye says suddenly. Her voice is shaky and incredibly vulnerable. "And my mom. For a second I thought..." She swallows. Elisabeth waits patiently, knowing this is hard for Skye to say. "Hunter's all I have left. If anything ever happened to him..." She trails off, unable to speak around the lump in her throat.

"Hey," Elisabeth says gently. She lays a comforting hand on Skye's shoulder. "Hunter's gonna be okay. I promise." Skye nods but won't meet her gaze. Elisabeth gives her shoulder a squeeze and then lets go. "You did really well tonight. You'll make an incredible doctor someday."

"I don't know about that," Skye says skeptically. "An incredible doctor wouldn't panic and freeze up when something goes wrong."

"They might if it was someone they cared about," Elisabeth says honestly. Skye looks like she needs proof, so Elisabeth decides to give it. "When Josh was six years old he got appendicitis. I was working late that night and I was there when Jim brought him in. I insisted on being the one to do the surgery. I thought I could handle it." Elisabeth sighs. Skye is watching her, listening intently. "There were some complications during surgery and I literally froze. I couldn't even move."

"What happened?" Skye asks, worried.

"One of the other doctors snapped me out of it and helped me save Josh's life," she says. She looks over at Skye and a small smile touches her face. "That was nothing compared to my first surgery. My hands were shaking so badly I thought I was going to sever a major artery." Skye grins. Elisabeth tilts her head. "What made you want to be a doctor?"

"I don't know. I just like helping people." Skye pauses a moment. "I was actually thinking about maybe becoming a field medic. My dad was a corporal, and I always wanted to be a soldier like him. You know, make him proud."

"I think he would be proud no matter what you do," Elisabeth says. Skye looks up at her and then quickly looks away as her eyes water.

"Yeah," she says. She tries to smile, but it's a sad and watery smile.

"Were you close, you and your dad?" Elisabeth asks carefully. Skye nods.

"I always wanted to be just like him." She grins. "I used to put a bucket on my head and march around the house like a soldier. He and my mom started calling me Bucket." Her smile fades. "I miss him a lot."

Skye shakes her head, pulling herself back to the present. She reaches up and wipes her eyes, trying to smile again.

"Sorry," she says. "I'm not usually like this."

"You're fine," Elisabeth says, giving her a kind smile.

"I just... Hunter really scared me," Skye admits. "I don't do well with people I know getting sick."

"I can understand that," Elisabeth says.

"Dr. Shannon?" Skye asks hesitantly. "Do you ever get scared?"

"Yeah," Elisabeth admits.

"Really?" Skye asks in disbelief.

"Everyone gets scared sometimes," Elisabeth says.

"What are you scared of?" Skye asks. She has that same vulnerable look on her face that she wore that night by the gate.

"Snakes," Elisabeth says. Skye grins. She's obviously the sort of girl who would have grown up playing with snakes if her family had been rich enough to have a garden.

"Seriously?" she asks. Elisabeth nods.

"I hate them," she says strongly. She shudders and Skye laughs a little.

"What else?" Skye asks.

"I'm scared of a patient dying while they're in my care," Elisabeth says seriously. "I'm scared of something happening to my family and not being able to help them." Skye nods in understanding and looks away. Elisabeth waits a second and then asks gently, "What about you? What are you afraid of?"

"Losing people I care about," Skye admits softly. This is the most vulnerable Elisabeth has ever seen her. Her eyes are wet again, and her next words are so low Elisabeth almost misses them. "Being alone."

Elisabeth reaches out and lays her hands on Skye's shoulders.

"Skye, look at me," she says gently.

Skye hesitates a moment and then finally looks up.

"You're not alone, okay?" Elisabeth says, looking Skye straight in the eyes so the girl understands how serious she is. "You've got Hunter, and Commander Taylor, and everyone else in Terra Nova. And you've got us. Me and Jim and Josh and Maddy and Zoe. We're here, and you can always come to us if you need anything, okay?"

"Thanks," Skye whispers. Elisabeth smiles warmly as she opens her arms and hugs the girl to her. Skye hugs back tightly.

"Now then," Elisabeth says, letting go of her intern. "You should go home and get some sleep. Your shift starts at nine, and I don't want any excuses." She smiles and Skye smiles back. They both know she has yet to be late for any shift.

"Actually I think I'll stay with Hunter, if that's okay," Skye says. Elisabeth nods.

"The bed on his left should be empty," Elisabeth says. "You can use it if you like."

"Thanks." Skye turns to go inside. "Good night, Dr. Shannon."

"Good night, Skye," Elisabeth says. "I'll see you tomorrow."

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><p>Please review and let me know what you think. :) If you haven't already, feel free to check out my other Terra Nova pieces: "Worth Dying For" (Wash's thoughts during her final moments) and "Moments in Time" (the story of Wash's life through Taylor's eyes).<p> 


	3. Perfect

Disclaimer: Do I look like I own it?

Author's Note: This one takes place right before the episode "Versus". It's not one of my favorites, but it is one of the more original pieces in this series. I thought it would be interesting to show Skye coming over for dinner as suggested by Elisabeth at the end of "Nightfall". Then it sort of snowballed into something else, which is why it's a bit longer. I'm not completely sure how I feel about it, so feedback would be much appreciated. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Perfect<strong>

"_So lonely inside, so busy out there,  
><em>_and all you wanted was somebody who cares."_

It's a good three weeks after the incident with the parasite before the Shannons are finally able to have Skye over for dinner. Skye seems fairly excited about the idea, but when the day arrives she seems a bit down. She's much quieter than usual, and her trademark smile is nowhere to be found. But the infirmary seems even busier than normal, and it isn't until after Mrs. Duncan gives birth to her baby boy that Elisabeth finally gets a chance to say something. She has gone to her locker to pick up her wedding ring, and Skye is there. The girl has her own locker door open and is standing there staring at something only she can see. She looks fairly depressed.

"You okay?" Elisabeth asks.

"Huh?" Skye's head jerks up and she immediately pastes on a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Yeah, I'm... I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Skye nods quickly.

"Because if you need to cancel tonight it's okay," Elisabeth assures her. Skye quickly shakes her head.

"Oh, no! I am definitely coming," she says firmly.

"Okay," Elisabeth says. "Six o'clock?"

"I'll be there."

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Skye shows up at six o'clock on the dot. Dinner is ziff kabobs, which turns out to be one of Skye's absolute favorites. She praises Elisabeth's cooking throughout the meal, and when Elisabeth tries to be modest about it the rest of the family immediately gangs up on her. She gets her revenge by praising Skye's potential for medicine, which makes Skye blush with embarrassment. Then Zoe decides to tell them a series of jokes one of her friends told her in school. They actually end up being pretty funny. Somehow that gets everyone on to the topic of childhood, and soon Jim is telling stories that make Josh turn bright red while Elisabeth and the girls laugh so hard that Maddy ends up snorting juice out of her nose. That of course just makes everyone laugh harder. By the end of it Skye is laughing so hard she's crying.

"Whew," Jim says when they finally all calm down. He wipes his eyes with the palms of his hands and looks over at Skye. "You need to come over more often. Next time we can talk about Maddy."

"Dad!" Maddy says, her head shooting up as her eyes go wide.

"Oh, she has lots of stories, let me tell you," Jim says, a grin on his face. Maddy reaches over and smacks his arm, which just makes him chuckle.

"Alright, that's enough," Elisabeth says. She tries to sound stern but she's smiling. "We don't want to scare her off."

"No, it's fine," Skye assures her. "I haven't laughed that hard in a long time."

"Can we have dessert now?" Zoe asks eagerly. Maddy immediately tries to shush her, but it's too late.

"I think so," Elisabeth says. She stands up from the table and begins to collect everyone's plates. "Maddy, can you give me a hand?"

Maddy jumps up immediately.

"I can help," Skye offers, starting to get up.

"No, you will not," Elisabeth says, her voice firm but a smile on her face. "I will not have my guests in the kitchen."

"If you say so," Skye says, sitting down.

Once Elisabeth and Maddy reach the kitchen she gives a nod to Josh, who immediately engages Skye in some sort of conversation. It doesn't take long to get the candles on the cake and light them. Zoe is grinning ear-to-ear watching them. Thankfully Josh is keeping Skye distracted or else she might realize something's up.

Finally it's ready. Maddy and Elisabeth carry the cake over to the table and set it down in front of an unsuspecting Skye.

"Ta-da!" Maddy says.

Skye freezes, stopping mid-sentence. For a moment she just stares at the cake, taking note of the seventeen candles atop it. Then her eyes see the words written in the sprinkle-covered blue icing: _Happy Birthday Skye._

"It's chocolate," Maddy says. "Josh said it was your favorite."

"How... How did you know?" Skye asks, looking up.

"Commander Taylor," Jim says. "I mentioned we wanted to have you over for dinner and he suggested we do it today because it's your birthday."

"You better blow those candles out before they melt everywhere," Elisabeth says gently.

"Make a wish," Josh says.

Skye hesitates a moment, thinking. Then she leans forward and blows out the candles. The Shannons all start to clap.

"What did you wish for?" Zoe asks.

"She can't tell you, silly, or it won't come true," Maddy says.

"Oh," Zoe says. She has to think about that one for a minute.

"Okay, carve it up," Jim says. Maddy ceremoniously hands Elisabeth the knife and she begins to cut the cake. The first piece, of course, goes to Skye. She waits until everyone else has a piece before taking a bite.

"This is really good," she says.

"Mom and I made it," Maddy says.

"I helped!" Zoe adds proudly.

"Zoe put the sprinkles on," Elisabeth says with a smile.

"Nice job," Skye tells Zoe.

Before long everyone has finished their piece of cake. Skye looks happier than Elisabeth has seen her in a long time. Josh is telling a story that it making her laugh, and this time it reaches her eyes.

"Okay," Jim says finally. "We have one more thing we have to do."

"Come here," Josh says, standing up and holding out his hand to Skye.

"What?" Skye asks nervously.

"Just come on," Josh says. Skye stands up and takes Josh's hand. "Okay, now close your eyes."

"Josh-"

"Just do it," Josh says, laughter in his voice. Skye does as she's told. Josh puts his hand in front of her face. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Skye says sarcastically. "I can't see." Josh laughs.

"Just checking."

He slowly leads her over to what Skye knows is the living room. He helps her sit down on something and then he waits. Skye can hear movement coming from the kitchen.

"Josh-"

"Hold on," he says. There comes a series of whispers and shuffles and then Josh says, "Open your eyes."

When Skye does the Shannons are all sitting around her. Four wrapped packages have been placed on the table in front of her.

"Oh my gosh," Skye says. She looks up at the Shannons. "You didn't have to do this."

"Of course we did," Jim says. "Everybody deserves presents on their birthday."

"Open this one first!" Zoe says, handing her the one with the messiest wrapping. Skye does as she's told. Inside is one of the toy dinosaurs Zoe makes. Zoe is grinning proudly at her.

"Thanks, Zoe," Skye says, smiling. "I love it."

The rest of the presents are just as brilliant. Maddy has given her a button-up blue plaid shirt. It's a little big, but the color is one of Skye's favorites so it's perfect. From Jim and Elisabeth there is a brown jacket that Skye had fallen in love with in the market and didn't have the money for. Josh has made her a necklace with a tiny dinosaur tooth on the end.

"Thank-you all so much," Skye says when she's finished opening them. Her eyes are wet. "They're all incredible."

Josh goes and gets his guitar and the Shannons all sing "Happy Birthday". Then they all begin a sort of sing-along. When that dies down they go back to telling jokes and stories and eating more cake. It really is a wonderful evening.

Finally Skye looks at her watch.

"I'm really sorry, but I have to go," she says. She stands up and pulls on her new jacket. "There's somebody I have to go see."

"Okay," Elisabeth says as they all get to their feet. "We'll have to do this again some time."

"Yeah," Skye agrees. "Thank-you all so much. This was so much fun. Really."

"No problem," Jim says.

They all say their good-byes and everyone gives Skye hugs and birthday wishes. Then Elisabeth walks her to the door.

"You sure you don't want Josh to walk you?" Elisabeth asks, stepping out onto the porch. Skye rolls her eyes.

"It's Terra Nova, Dr. Shannon," she says. "Not Chicago. Nothing's going to happen."

"What can I say?" Elisabeth says. "I'm a mother. We worry."

"Very true," Skye says. She starts to take a step, then hesitates and turns back around. "Thank-you so much for this. It was great."

"Well, birthdays are supposed to be happy," Elisabeth says.

"Yeah," Skye says. She shrugs. "People kinda tend to forget about mine. I mean, it's not a big deal or anything." She looks down at her feet. "It's just... hard sometimes. It's so close to when my parents died."

"Well hopefully this one was better," Elisabeth says. Skye nods.

"It was perfect." Suddenly she wraps her arms around Elisabeth's neck and hugs her tightly. "Thank-you." Elisabeth smiles and hugs her back.

"Happy Birthday, Skye."

Skye is smiling when they let go.

"I need to be going," she says. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Remember you start evening shift tomorrow," Elisabeth reminds her.

"Good!" Skye says. "I can sleep in." Elisabeth laughs.

"Good night, Skye."

"Good night, Dr. Shannon."

Skye steps off the porch and starts walking down the street. She waits until she hears the door to the Shannon house close behind her before changing direction and heading toward her usual exit point in the fence. She can't bear to spend her birthday without seeing her mom. Hopefully Carter is still waiting for her. Otherwise it'll be a long walk to the Sixer camp.

* * *

><p>So how was it? Leave a review and let me know what you think!<p> 


	4. So Close, So Far

Disclaimer: Last time I checked, I didn't own any part of Terra Nova. Just a few hyperactive plot bunnies.

Author's Note: This takes place during "Within" somewhere between Skye getting the chip from Lucas and Jim discovering that she's the spy. She seemed pretty nervous about the whole thing and really didn't want to do it. I think if Taylor or Elizabeth had gotten to her for long enough she might have cracked, at least a little. Also, special thanks to Above-and-Beyond97 for all the reviews on this story and "Moments in Time." Thanks a lot. :) Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>So Close, So Far<strong>

"_I'm sinking slowly, so hurry hold me.  
><em>_Your hand is all I have to keep me hanging on."_

"There."

Elisabeth finishes sealing up the cut on Wash's arm and nods.

"Good as new," she says, smiling at the lieutenant.

"Thanks," Wash says. Elisabeth picks up the small slasher spike she just pulled out of Wash's arm and holds it up.

"Do you want to keep it?" she asks with a joking smile. "It makes a nice souvenir."

"I think I may use it to slash the tires on Malcolm's precious rover," Wash says vengefully. "It was his bright idea to go into the middle of slasher territory to collect 'vital specimens.'"

"Those plants may help us to create a cure for a number of deadly diseases," Elisabeth says, trying not to laugh.

"They better," Wash says. She flexes her arm before standing up and pocketing the slasher spike. "The next pilgrimage will be here soon anyway. It wouldn't kill Malcolm to use his legs for a few days." Elisabeth smiles.

"Sorry I'm late," Skye says, coming in. She's tugging on her white coat as fast as she can, getting her arm stuck in the sleeve in the process. "I lost track of time."

"It's alright," Elisabeth says. Skye has never been late before, so Elisabeth knows there must be a good reason. She turns to Wash. "You'll have to be careful for a few days until the muscle fully heals, but otherwise you're cleared for duty. Let me know if it starts hurting or looks like it may be getting infected."

"Yes ma'am," Wash says smartly. She gives a nod to Skye, who smiles weakly back. Then she turns and heads for the door. Elisabeth's voice stops her in the doorway.

"Wash?" she says. The lieutenant turns. The corner of Elisabeth's mouth turns up slightly. "Make sure you get his spare too."

Wash grins conspiratorially.

"Will do," she says. Then she's out the door and gone.

"What was that about?" Skye asks.

"Let's just say it is never a good idea to make Lieutenant Washington angry," Elisabeth says cryptically. She picks up the pair of tweezers she used to pull the spike out of Wash's arm and holds them out to Skye. "Can you clean those for me?"

"Sure," Skye says.

Under different circumstances Elisabeth probably would notice that the girl is missing her usual eagerness. But one of the men working on the fence fell and broke his arm, and Elisabeth needs to go check on the intern with him to make sure she sets the bone properly. She does an impeccable job, as always. That girl will make a brilliant doctor in a few years.

When Elisabeth finishes with that she sits down at a microscope to look at some samples that Malcolm has just sent over for her. The chemical structure is definitely unique. Malcolm may be right. Those plants may have some potential after all.

She almost doesn't see Skye come into the room. The girl comes over to the microscope in interest.

"What are you looking at?" she asks.

"Plant samples from Malcolm's team," Elisabeth says. "He thinks we may be able to use them to create a cure for several diseases." She leans back from the microscope and stands to her feet. "Of course, most of them are diseases we left in 2149. But if we ever find a way to make the portal go both ways, they could be invaluable."

"Any chance you might be able to find a cure for Sincyllic Fever?" Skye asks. She tries to make it sound off-handed, but Elisabeth can see the hope glittering in her eyes.

"I doubt it," she says, knowing that the disease is something of a personal demon for Skye. "As far as we know there is no cure."

"Right," Skye says. She looks away, but not before Elisabeth sees the hope in her eyes crumble to dust. For the first time that day she takes a good look at Skye. She looks unusually tense, and she seems to be trying to avoid making eye contact.

"Everything okay?" Elisabeth asks, concerned.

"Yeah," Skye says quickly. She smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "Everything's fine."

"Because you know you can always talk to me about anything," Elisabeth says. She's been trying hard to build a relationship with Skye since the night at the gate. One thing she's learned during this internship is that Skye has many layers hidden behind her adventurous, easy-going nature. Moving from one to the next takes time and work, but Skye has been opening up to her more and more over the last few weeks.

Skye's smile fades a bit, her eyes drifting around the room.

"It's complicated," she says.

"I've got time," Elisabeth assures her. Skye sighs and then turns around so she can lean against the table. Her arms are crossed protectively over her chest.

"Uhm..." She hesitates for a minute. Then she looks up. "What if someone you cared about was in trouble? How far would you go to save them?"

"As far as I had to," Elisabeth says honestly.

"What if the only way to save them might hurt a lot of other people?" Skye asks. Something in her eyes tells Elisabeth that this is a very serious question and that her answer will be given real weight. So she thinks it through very carefully.

"Well," she says slowly, "I guess it would depend on who the person was and who I would be hurting and how badly."

"What if someone in your family was dying?" Skye asks. Her eyes are watching Elisabeth carefully, silently begging for a solution to whatever problem she is wrestling with. "Would you hurt the colony to save them?"

"What is this about?" Elisabeth asks, concerned.

"Nothing," Skye says quickly, looking away. "I was just wondering."

"You're not a very good liar," Elisabeth says gently. Skye almost looks amused at the statement. Elisabeth moves to stand in front of her, trying to make eye contact. "Whatever it is, you can tell me."

"It's complicated," Skye says again.

"That's okay," Elisabeth assures her. Skye hesitates another moment. Then she seems to give in.

"This wasn't supposed to go this far." She pauses again and looks away. Elisabeth waits patiently. Skye takes a deep breath, gathering her resolve. Then she looks up and says, "I'm-"

"Elisabeth." Jim Shannon comes into the room and Skye immediately closes her mouth. "The convoy from outpost four just got back. They were attacked by Sixers on the way. It's not bad, but one of the rovers flipped and Durham and Harrison got pretty beat up."

"I'll be right there," Elisabeth says. Jim nods and then he's gone. Elisabeth turns back to Skye who is suddenly refusing to meet her gaze. "We'll talk later, yeah?"

"Sure," Skye says. She smiles weakly, but it doesn't reach her eyes.

"Hey." Elisabeth rests her hands on Skye's arms and the girl looks up. "It'll be okay, alright? Whatever it is, we'll fix it."

Skye nods and Elisabeth heads outside.

It takes longer than she expects it to, and by the time they're finished patching everyone up Skye has already left. Elisabeth doesn't even think about the conversation again until that evening when Jim storms out saying Josh has been covering for the spy. He never says her name. He doesn't have to. Elisabeth knows immediately who he means.

As she stands there with Josh's guitar in her hand and a stunned expression on her face, she suddenly wishes the convoy had gotten back just a few minutes later.

* * *

><p>How was it? Leave a review and let me know! :)<p> 


	5. The Truth Behind the Lies

Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own it.

Author's Note: This is set towards the end of "Now You See Me" right after Taylor and Jim confront Skye. It's a little emotional, but after disappointing Taylor so crushingly, lying to everyone for three years, and finally having to say what she thinks is a final good-bye to her mother, I think Skye would pretty much be a wreck. And since she's next seen sitting on the porch of the Shannon house with Josh, she obviously went straight there and told them what happened. This is how I think that would have gone down. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>The Truth Behind the Lies<strong>

"_Please can you tell me so I can finally see  
><em>_where you go when you're gone."_

Skye runs all the way back to Terra Nova. Her heart is pounding and she can hardly breathe, but she knows that if she stops she'll fall apart. Between leaving her mother behind and the look on Taylor's face... She shakes her head and keeps running.

Her muscles are burning when she reaches the fence and begins to claw her way through the brush. The thorns shred her hands but she doesn't care. She is slightly surprised to find that there's no one guarding her escape route. She was expecting to find herself face-to-face with Wash's sonic and a trip straight to the brig. When no one's waiting for her she almost doesn't know what to do. She can't go home. Not now. Even if her housemates don't know about her betrayal yet she's on the verge of a breakdown that she doesn't need them to see. So instead she runs to the only place in Terra Nova that feels safe anymore.

She's got her breath back when she reaches the porch of the Shannon house, but the ache in her chest is only getting worse. Her eyes feel like they're on fire. She reaches up and knocks on the door. Then she waits, every second a painful agony.

The door opens to reveal Maddy Shannon.

"Hey," she says, smiling. She steps back to make room for Skye. "Come on in."

The family appears to have just finished cleaning up after dinner because Elisabeth Shannon is putting away dishes and Josh is leaning against the counter. Zoe is sitting at the table coloring. She looks up and smiles when she sees Skye.

"Maddy," Elisabeth calls, "who-"

She stops mid-sentence as she and Josh both look up. Their eyes widen when they see her. The looks that immediately follow tell Skye everything. They already know.

"Skye," Elisabeth says, her voice carefully neutral. "What are you doing here?"

"Mr. Shannon told me to come back to Terra Nova," Skye says shakily. At this point the truth is her best option.

"Why didn't he come with you?" Josh asks. His voice is hard and the suspicion in his eyes makes Skye want to throw-up.

"He and Commander Taylor are headed for the portal," she says, trying to keep calm. "Lucas figured out how to make it go both ways. He's going to use it to bring an army back to Terra Nova."

"Who's Lucas?" Maddy asks, confused.

"And how do you know this?" Elisabeth asks coldly.

"I..." Skye feels her resolve shattering as she sees the trap closing around her. Her voice drops. "He told me."

"It _was_ you." Josh's voice is cold and condemning. Suddenly he smashes his fist against the countertop and Zoe jumps, scared by the noise. Skye stands perfectly still. Josh turns, his face hot with anger. "I trusted you! I lied to my dad because you asked me to! And all this time you were betraying us to the Sixers."

"What?" Maddy says, shocked. "You're the spy?"

"How long?" Elisabeth asks.

"Three years," Skye whispers.

"Three _years_?" Elisabeth says, disbelieving.

"I can't believe it," Maddy says. She sounds as if someone has just told her the world really is flat after all.

"What I don't understand is why," Elisabeth says. "This colony is your home. Taylor treats you like his own daughter. And after everything these people have done for you, you just turn your back on them?" She shakes her head.

Skye wraps her arms around herself and tries to stay standing. She has incredible respect for Elisabeth, and every word feels like a blow. The disappointment in Elisabeth's eyes is devastating, almost as bad as the way Taylor looked at her.

"I never told them anything that would hurt the colony," she says, trying to defend herself.

"Skye, people have been seriously injured in Sixer attacks," Elisabeth says. "They could have been killed!"

"I never meant for that to happen," Skye says, her face begging them to understand.

"Well it did," Josh says harshly. "How could you do this to us?"

"Oh, because you've never made a deal with the Sixers before," Skye says angrily.

"I was trying to _help_ someone!"

"So was I!" Skye yells, breaking. Her voice drops, suddenly hoarse. Her chest gets tighter and suddenly she can't breathe. "They have my mother."

Suddenly the Shannon house is completely silent.

"What?" Elisabeth says, not sure if she heard correctly.

"She was dying," Skye says. It's hard to speak around the lump in her throat, but once she starts she can't seem to stop. "Mira contacted me. She said they had a cure. So I smuggled her out of Terra Nova. She has to take this medicine every day to stay alive, and as long as I do what Mira wants they give it to her. It was just supposed to be information. Where our patrols were and when convoys left." She looks up, her eyes begging them to understand.

"I never gave them anything important, I swear," she insists. "But Lucas said he'd kill my mom unless I used the Eye to check his calculations, and now he's going to open the portal to bring back an army and destroy Terra Nova." Tears begin welling in her eyes. "As soon as they find out I told Taylor they'll kill my mom."

The tears begin to run down her face.

"I never meant for this to happen," Skye chokes. "She's all I have left."

Her voice is lost as the tears trickle silently down her face. None of the Shannons react. They just stare at her like she's suddenly grown a second head. Skye tightens her arms around herself and shuts her eyes tight, steeling herself for the harsh words of condemnation about to rain down on her. But instead there is only silence. She holds her breath, waiting. For a long and painful moment nothing happens.

There's a noise on her left, and Skye looks up to see that Elisabeth is standing in front of her.

"I'm sorry," Skye whispers, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry."

She braces herself for the stinging rebuke, but none comes. Instead Elisabeth reaches out and wraps her arms around Skye. She doesn't say anything. She still feels too betrayed for that. Skye doesn't blame her. But she's so incredibly tired of the charade and so scared of finally losing her mom that she can't stop herself from holding on to Elisabeth as tears run down her face . Elisabeth's arms tighten around her, a silent message that while the betrayal is too raw right now there will come a day when she will be forgiven for what she has done. That small hope is enough to break her completely. The relief washes over her in a giant wave. As much as it will hurt to look Taylor in the eye every day from here on out, as scared as she is of what Lucas is going to do, at least the lies and the stealing and sneaking are over. For better or worse, it's all over.

She hears the sound of small feet running and then Zoe is wrapping her arms around Skye's waist as best she can. From behind her Maddy starts to rub her back. Josh's hand slips in to hers, squeezing it tightly, and suddenly Skye can breathe again.

"We'll find a way to fix this," Elisabeth promises.

Somehow Skye believes her. Those words have awakened something inside of her, something she hasn't felt in a long time. For the first time in a long time, Skye has a flicker of hope.

* * *

><p>Feed the bard, folks. Please and thank-you. :)<p> 


	6. Forgiveness

Disclaimer: Don't own it. The end.

Author's Note: Sorry it's taken me a few days to update. I spent my Christmas break in Poland with my familyand the last few days I've been wrapping things up there and flying back to the U.S. But I should be back on schedule now. This piece is set at the very end of "Now You See Me"after Curran has brought Deborah back to Terra Nova. It's pretty short though. I've been spoiling you guys with long chapters. ;) Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Forgiveness<strong>

"_All you wanted was somebody who cares.  
><em>_If you need me, you know I'll be there."_

After making sure Deborah is settled Elisabeth goes over to the lab to help Malcolm analyze the medicine Curran brought in. The results are incredible. The sample is a unique blend of plant parts that together really can cure Sincyllic fever. It's a truly remarkably discovery.

They finally finish up late at night and Elisabeth heads home. She makes a stop by the infirmary on her way to make sure Deborah is alright. When she looks in to check Deborah is sleeping peacefully. Skye is sitting next to her, holding her mother's hand and quietly watching her sleep. The expression on the girl's face, however, is anything but peaceful.

"You should be in bed," Elisabeth chastises gently. Skye's head jerks up, but she relaxes when she sees Elisabeth.

"I can't sleep," Skye admits, leaning back in the chair. "How did it go at the lab?"

"That medicine is completely brilliant," Elisabeth says, going to stand beside Skye. "Malcolm and his team have figured out how to synthesize it. In fact if we up the dosage we may be able to cure her completely."

"Thank-you," Skye says softly.

"Thank Curran," Elisabeth tells her. Skye nods and looks back at her mother. "Is this what you were trying to tell me yesterday?"

"Yeah," Skye says. She shakes her head. "I've been trying to tell Taylor for three years. I always chickened out." She lets out a breath. "He's never going to forgive me."

"Skye, you've been lying to him for three years. He's really hurt right now." Elisabeth rests her hand on Skye's shoulder. "Give him time, okay? He'll forgive you. It just may take a while."

"Sure," Skye says. She doesn't sound convinced.

"Taylor loves you like his own daughter," Elisabeth says. "He'll forgive you." Skye looks up at her and nods. Then she looks back at her mother.

"Dr. Shannon?" she asks. "What would you have done?"

"I don't know," Elisabeth says honestly. "I want to say that I would have told Jim and Taylor and tried to find another way. But I also know it's not that easy." Skye looks up again, her eyes searching for the reason behind that statement.

"When I got pregnant with Zoe," Elisabeth explains, "I should have gotten an abortion. That was the law. But I couldn't bring myself to do it. In the first three years of her life we broke so many laws. We kept her hidden inside our apartment. We did all kinds of things to get food and clothes for her. Things that might have been considered illegal. I also helped to break my husband out of prison and sneak him and my illegal daughter onto the tenth pilgrimage. I know it doesn't really compare with what you did. But I also understand that people do crazy things for those they love. Things that may not always be right."

"So... You're not angry with me?" Skye asks tentatively.

"I'm hurt that you lied," Elisabeth says. "And I think that you made a bad decision. But I can't really blame you for it because honestly I might have done the same."

Skye nods slowly. She looks a little more at peace now than she did when Elisabeth came in.

"I suppose there isn't any point in telling you to go home and get some sleep," Elisabeth says with a smile.

"Nope," Skye says, smiling back. Elisabeth nods.

"Fair enough. There are some cots in the back room. I'll get you one."

"Thanks," Skye says. Her eyes tell Elisabeth that she means it for much more than the cot. Elisabeth smiles at her.

"You're welcome."

* * *

><p>Leave a review and let me know what you thought. :)<p> 


	7. Fight or Flight

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Wish I did.

Author's Note: This takes place after Skye gets Josh out of the brig. None of us really know what went on between her and Lucas, and I think Elisabeth would have been concerned enough to ask. Enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Fight or Flight<strong>

"_If you want to I can save you.  
><em>_I can take you away from here."_

"Dr. Shannon!"

The way Skye says it tells Elisabeth immediately that something is wrong. But when she turns around and sees her intern supporting a bloody Josh her heart nearly stops.

"What happened?" she demands, running forward to help Skye support her son.

"I'm fine," Josh says. He doesn't sound very convincing.

"He got beat up by some Phoenix guards," Skye says.

"What?" Elisabeth gasps. "Why?"

They help Josh sit down on one of the biobeds and Elisabeth immediately sets to work.

"It's a long story," Skye says evasively.

"Dad's got it worse," Josh says. "He's in the brig. They're gonna hurt him."

"In the brig?" Elisabeth nearly drops the light she's using to check Josh's pupils.

"He beat up a bunch of guards when he saw them hurting Josh," Skye explains.

"I'm fine," Josh repeats.

"I'll be the judge of that," Elisabeth says harshly. Skye takes a quick look around before continuing, her voice low and urgent.

"They know Mr. Shannon has been helping Taylor," she says. "Your family can't stay in Terra Nova. You need to leave."

"Mom-" Josh begins, trying to protest. Elisabeth cuts him off.

"I'm not leaving Jim," she says firmly as she applies some healing spray to a bloody gash on Josh's face. She hands Skye a tube of cream to put on a massive bruise on Josh's cheek so the girl has an excuse to stay close just in case they're being watched. Neither of them is making eye contact. They need this conversation to look like small talk rather than the planning of an escape attempt.

"I know," Skye assures her. "But I can't get him out. I already tried. It was Josh or nothing."

"I'll think of something."

"Mom-" Josh tries again.

"We'll talk later," Elisabeth says firmly. Josh falls silent.

"Are you sure?" Skye asks.

"I helped my husband break out of prison and into Hope Plaza," Elisabeth reminds her. "The brig won't be a problem. Right now I need you to go to Lieutenant Washington and tell her what happened. She'll know what to do."

Skye nods. She turns and starts walking towards the door as fast as she can without looking suspicious.

"Now," Elisabeth says, setting down the spray and looking her son squarely in the face. "What happened?"

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Half an hour later Elisabeth is by her locker taking off her white coat. She just sent Jim's release on his way to the brig. Josh and Maddy should have everything packed by now. All she can do now is wait.

Skye slips around the corner and opens her locker, pretending to be getting something out.

"I got in touch with Taylor," she says quietly. "He's got a man waiting outside the tenth quadrant of the perimeter, where all the blue containers are. Lieutenant Washington has a way to disable the perimeter grid, and Casey and Malcolm are setting explosives for a distraction. They just need to know when."

"I need ten minutes," Elisabeth says, putting her coat inside her locker. Skye nods.

"Mr. Shannon?"

"Will be out. I've already got a plan in place."

"Okay," Skye says. She turns and starts toward the door but Elisabeth stops her.

"Skye," she says. The girl turns back around. Elisabeth meets her asks and then says very carefully and deliberately, "Josh said you got him out. How?"

"I just... went to Lucas and he... let Josh go," Skye says. She suddenly looks very uncomfortable talking about it.

"Just like that?" Elisabeth says, obviously not buying it. Skye looks away. Elisabeth takes a step forward, her voice deadly serious. "Skye, look at me. Did he hurt you?"

Skye's eyes widen as she realizes what Elisabeth must think happened.

"No! No, nothing like that," she says quickly. "We just... talked." She looks away again. "I told him Josh was just upset because his girlfriend died in the explosion and that he couldn't possible know anything about Taylor because he'd never liked him and that Lucas doesn't want to make a martyr out of him because it would just make his job harder."

"Skye," Elisabeth says, sensing that there's more.

"That's all, I swear," Skye says. She wraps her arms around herself, visibly uncomfortable. "I just... He gives me the creeps."

"You should come with us," Elisabeth says suddenly.

"I can't," Skye says immediately. The speed with which she answers says that she has already thought about it. "I can't leave my mom."

"Bring her too," Elisabeth says. Skye shakes her head.

"She's still too weak. We'd only slow you down. You'd get caught."

"Skye-"

"I'm more use here," Skye insists. "I can help get Taylor intel. I may even be able to get Lucas to trust me."

"It's too dangerous," Elisabeth says firmly.

"It's my fault they're here," Skye says. Her eyes beg Elisabeth to understand. "I have to fix this."

Elisabeth lets out a breath and then nods.

"Okay," she says. "Be careful."

"You too," Skye says.

She disappears around the corner, leaving Elisabeth standing there alone. She shuts her locker and heads for the door. She has ten minutes to get her family ready.

* * *

><p>Review, please. :)<p> 


	8. When the Smoke Clears

Disclaimer: I still own nothing. Just the hyperactive plot bunnies, which can sometimes be rather hard to catch.

Author's Note: I apologize for the severely unnacceptable ammount of time it has taken me to finally post the final chapter to this piece. The plot bunny escaped and refused to come back. So I concentrated on other projects until he finally came home on his own. Then my internet malfunctioned and I spent most of the day trying to fix it. Anyway. All of that to say, here is the final chapter. I do have two more smaller stand-alone Skye pieces in the works and hopefully those will be finished very soon, so keep your eyes open for those. But until then, I hope you enjoy this final chapter. :)

* * *

><p><strong>When the Smoke Clears<strong>

"_So I took your hand and we figured out that  
><em>_when the time comes I'll take you away."_

"Dr. Shannon? Do you have a moment?"

Elisabeth turns away from the nurse she has been instructing to see Deborah Tate standing behind her. She's looking much better than when she arrived, although she's still a bit weak.

"Of course," Elisabeth says warmly. "What can I do for you?"

"It's about Skye," Deborah says carefully. "She hasn't been herself the last few days. I... I think she still blames herself for everything that's happened. I've tried to talk to her about it, but she's spent the last three years protecting me and it's a hard habit to break. But she really respects you, and I was hoping..."

"That I could talk to her," Elisabeth finishes. Deborah nods. Elisabeth takes a quick look around the infirmary just to be sure everything is taken care of before turning back to Deborah. "I was actually just about to take a break. Do you know where she is?"

"She said she was going to see her dad," Deborah says quietly. Elisabeth nods.

"I'll see what I can do," she says. Deborah gives her a grateful smile.

"Thank-you."

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

It's a short walk out to Memorial Field. That, combined with the fact that no dangerous animals ever seem to come near the place, means that Elisabeth has no qualms about walking out there alone. Even before she reaches it she can see Skye standing amongst the wooden crosses and other various markers that show where loved ones have been buried. Only a few days ago they added Lieutenant Washington's body to the graveyard, along with the other soldiers killed during the takeover and rebellion. But there's just something very beautiful about the grassy plain covered with flowers and surrounded by trees.

As Elisabeth nears Skye she suddenly realizes that it isn't her father's grave that Skye is standing in front of. It's Lieutenant Washington's. Skye looks up just before Elisabeth reaches her and gives her a small smile.

"Hey, Dr. Shannon," she says.

"Your mother said I might find you out here," Elisabeth says. She stops beside Skye and together they look down at the cross that marks Wash's grave. A pair of dog tags hangs around the top just above the crosspiece, and leaning against the foot of the cross is a smooth metal plaque that reads:

_Lieutenant Alicia Washington  
><em>_2113 A.D. - 0007 T.N.  
><em>_Soldier. Hero. Friend.  
><em>_We will never forget your sacrifice._

For a moment they're both silent. Then Elisabeth looks over at Skye.

"You okay?" she asks. Skye lets out a long breath.

"It's my fault," she says finally.

"What?" Elisabeth asks.

"Everything," Skye says, refusing to look up. "This whole mess. If I hadn't taken Lucas' stupid calculations to the Eye, none of this would have happened."

"You don't know that," Elisabeth says gently. "Sooner or later Lucas would have managed to check them himself and it would have happened anyway. Only then we wouldn't have had any warning. In a way what you did is a bit of a blessing in disguise."

Skye doesn't look convinced.

"If we hadn't known, then all our men would have still been in the colony," she points out. "Lieutenant Washington would still be alive. So would a lot of other people."

"You can't spend your whole life wondering what might have happened," Elisabeth tells her. "You have to keep moving forward. It's true that you may have accelerated the arrival of Phoenix, but their coming was not your fault. And you've more than made up for your actions. You helped our family escape. You risked your life to ambush Lucas and help get Jim through the portal. And you saved Commander Taylor's life."

Skye looks back at Wash's grave and Elisabeth lets her think for a moment before continuing.

"Nobody blames you," she says firmly. "Especially not Lieutenant Washington. She made her own choice. And the best thing you can do now is to honor that choice by living out the life she died to give all of us. Okay?"

Skye slowly looks back up at Elisabeth. Then she nods.

"Okay," she says finally. Elisabeth smiles at her.

"Let's go home, yeah?" she says.

She holds out her hand and Skye takes it. The girl takes a few steps forward, and when she gets close enough Elisabeth lets go of Skye's hand and instead wraps an arm around her shoulders. Together the two of them begin to walk away from the markers and back toward the colony. The battle has come and gone, and Terra Nova is still standing. For now, at least, the fighting is over.

It's time to go home.

* * *

><p>A huge thank-you to everyone who has reviewed this story. Reviews seriously make my day. So if you could kindly leave just one more, I would be much obliged. :) Thanks again!<p> 


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